Drying mechanism for printed sheets



i thus-s W 00165 #wM/M v June 2, 1925. I 1,540,687

A. V.)FEISTEL ET AL DRYING MECHANISM FOR PRINTED SHEETS Fil ed Aug. 18. 192: 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 'f'i .l.

WITNENE, V HLBEETZEISIEL June 2, 1925. 1,540,687

A. V. 'FEISTEL ET AL/ DRYING MECHANISM FOR-PRINTED SHEETS Filed Aug. 18. .192:

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WI Til/88158 //%WZM IN I? Arm/Mrs June 2, 19 25 A. V. FEISTEL ET AL DRYING MECHANISM FOR PRINTED SHEETS Filed Aug. 18. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 2, I 1 925.

A. v. FEISTEL' ET AL DRYING MECHANISM FOR PRINTED SHEETS m M m mw mw wh m N 4 h I L P. Q 5 Q1 3 7, 2 A 9 1 m 7 1 m A d e l 1 F N mm Ildiillllf IIIIIIIIIHH w .M/ VEN TOR v QVLBEHT VZi'IsmL A TTORIVEYQS I Patented June 2, 1925. g p

UNITED STATES PATENT v( )FFICE.

ALBERT v.- FEISTEL AND JAMES w. Books, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DRYING MECHANISM FOR PRINT'ED SH EETS.

Application filed August 18,1923. Serial No. 658,102.

paper and has for an object to provide an improved construction which will dry ink in a minimum time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drying machine which may be applied directly to a printing machine in such a manner that the drying machine will take the printed sheets from the printing machine and move the same toa drying posi tion automatically and as fast as the printing machine discharges the printed sheets.

A still further object of the invention, more specifically, is to provide a drying apparatus which has means operating at the speed of the printing press for removing printed sheets therefrom and then transferring the sheets to a slower moving struc- Y ture for allowing more time for drying before the sheets are finallydischarged.

In the printing art, it is now the practice to applyseveral colored inks to a sheet of paper as it passes through the printing machine and in some presses to print two sheets at the same time on the same cylinder. By using printing presses of this character, a large number of sheets may be printed in a given time and where several different colored inks are used, as for instance, where different-colored pictures are provided, it requires an appreciable time for the ink to Heretofore, after [the printed sheets had. been discharged from the press and -moved a certain distance therefrom, heavy sheets of paper were applied thereto as the printed sheets were arranged in piles. These heavy separate sheets are known as slip sheets or fillers and prevent the smearing, smudging or blurring 'of the printed sheets. Even with the use of fillers, it was necessary to make comparatively small piles and also it was necessary to provide special mechanism for applying these filler sheets at the proper time. After the printed sheets had become dried, it was again necessary to pass the sheets through a machine for removing and recovering the filler sheets to be used a second time. This operation .of first applying the filler sheets and then removing the same is expensive as well as requiring a comparatively long time for the ink to be come tho-roughly dry.

In the present'invention, a drying apparatus has been provided which is intended to obviate the use of the filler sheets and, consequently, to.eliminate the machines for applying the filler sheets and for removing the filler sheets. This will reduce the floor space necessary to print a given number of sheets and properly dry the same.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the ma-' chine, disclosing an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on line 2-2. p L

Figure 3 is a view similar to Flgure 2 but showing the parts in elevation.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the parts on an enlarged scale with the central section broken away, the same being taken on line 44 of Figure 7 Figure 5 is a, sectionalview through Figure 4, approximately on line 55.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side view of the 7 front part of a sprocket wheel, chain and associated parts, disclosing certain features of the invention.

Figure 7- san 'end view of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure? on line 8-8.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the parts moved to a further advanced position.

Figure 10 is a-view similar to Figure 9 but showing the position of the parts immediately before they assume the position illustrated in Figure 9..

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing one end of one of the gripper bars and how the two pins therein co-act.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numeral, 11 indicates a frame of any suitable kind for supporting the mechanism hereinafter fully described. The frame 11 is arranged adjacent a printing machine 12 of any desired kind, as for instance, a multicolored printing press which is adapted to discharge the printed sheets in any suitable manner, as for instance, through. the rollers 13 and 14. Heretofore, when the sheets 15 and 16 supported in suitable journal members and carrying suitable sprocket wheels,

the shaft 15 carrying a sprocket wheel 17' near each end while the shaft 16 carries a sprocket Wheel 18 near each end. These sprocket-wheels accommodate the chains 19 and 20 which may be of any desired type but which are provided with a number of pins 21 secured to the chains in any suitable manner, said pins being spaced apart a proper distance for causing the various gripper bars 22 to come opposite the rollers 13 and 14 at the proper time to grip a sheet of printed paper as the same leaves the printing press- 12. Each of the grip-per bars 22 is provided with a central section 23 which is preferably square in cross section and with end sections 24 and 25 preferably square in cross section. Suitable pins 26 and 27 connect the end sections 24 and 25 with the central section 23, said pins connecting these sections in such a manner that the central section 23 may swing independently of the end sections.

Surrounding the respective sprocket wheels 17 are guards 28 and 29 and inner guiding arc-shaped members 30 which are preferably a quarter of a circle or a little more. The guiding arc-shaped members 30 co-act with the guards 28. and 29 as indicated in Figures 8 to 10 for holding the respective end sections 24 and 25 against turning while permitting the central section 23 to swing. In Figure 8, it will be noted that the gripper fingers 32 afid associated parts are hanging downwardly and in dotted lines in this figure they are still hanging downwardly while the end section 25 is being guided by the guiding members 29 and the arc-shaped member 30. It will also be observed that the various pins 21 will force the gripper bars along with the chain but in order to prevent the gripper bars from falling downwardly when passing around the respective sprocket wheels 17, a special pin-wheel 31 is secured to theshaft 15 near each end, said pin-wheel beingv provided with a number of pins 33 spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the respective sections 24: and 25 so that when these sections are moving downwardly over the sprocket wheels 17, pin 21 will be in back of these sections while one of the pins 33 will be in front and will support the sections and in fact the entire gripper 7 bar.

When the gripper bar reaches a point near the bottom, the body or central section 23 engages the cam surface 34 and is rotated as shown in Figure 10. As this occurs, the

printing machine 12 feeds a sheet of pa or 35 until the same overlaps somewhat the nger 32. As the gripper bar and paper move at the same speed from this point on, this same relative position will refain until the arm passes off the high end of the track 37, the 86 spring 38 acting on the gripper finger 32 will immediately close theh same and sausllal zge fingerto firmly grip t e pa er an pu e same along as indicated in F igure 4:. It will be noted that the gripper bar 22 moves at 90 the same speed as the paper 35 and, consequently, there is no tearing or crumbhng ofthe paper. As soon as the paper 35 has been moved past the cam 34, it automatically drops downwardly and assumes a, vertical position under the action of gravity, the section 23 and the gripper bar rotating on the pins 26 and 27. As soon as the end of the paper 35 has moved away from the cam 34,

a new gripper bar will approach and also 1 0 a new sheet of paper will approach the cam and the same operation will be repeated. This continues as long as the printing press and the drier are used.

The printing press or printing machine and drier may be directly connected so as to positively operate at the same speed or may be driven from a separate power 1f preferred. The chains 19 and 20 are comparatively short and move the sheets of paper 35 comparatively rapidly. If these chains were made long enough to support the sheets 35 until the ink thereon was set, too much floor spacev would be required and, consequently,

these chains have been made comparatively short and the various gripper bars 22 shifted to a slow moving set of chains 39 and 40 Whichreceive the gripper bars from chains 19 and 20 and move the gripper bars slowly fora predetermined time, with the sheets 35 hanging vertically.

The chains 39 and 40 may be of any desired length and preferably. are of considerable length so as to giv the ink on the sheets 35 time to set. It is not necessary to cause the ink to completely dry but it is necessary to allow suflicient drying to per-v mit the ink to set and when this occurs, the sheets may be properly stacked Without smearing or smudging the same. On the respectke chains 39 and 40 are arranged pins nized with the printing machine though if 41 said pins being only sufiiclently far-apart desired, some other form of connection tracks 47 which engage the shaft carrying a pinionto accommodate a gripper bar so that the could be provided without departing'from sheets 35 will be spaced apart only slightly the spirit of th invention. more than the thickness of the gripper bars When the gripper bars move downwardly and, consequently, instead of the gripper from the position shown in Figure 8 to that bars on the chains 39 and 40 moving at the shown in Figures 9 and 10, it is. usually speed ofthe paper 35 as it issues from the necessary to have some means for holding printing machine, they move at a much the support for the gripping finger 32 in slower speed. The pins .21 are preferably. place when this gripping finger is raised by flexible 'but are sufiiciently strong to move the lever or arm 36. In order that this may the bars along though when the gripper bars be'properly accomplished thebentral section are transferred to the chains 39 and 40, these 22 of the gripper bar is provided with pins may flex sufliciently to pass without groove 68 which is slightly more than hafi being injured or without injuring the bars. a circle which accommodates the stop pin 69 As indicated in Figure 2 a suitable platsecured to the end or section 25. Whenthe form 42 is provided on which a pile 43 of parts move from the position shown in Figthe' sheets 35 may be made. 'A" roller 44 is ure 8, they will first assume the position arranged asuitable distance above the platshown in Figure 10 and then the position form 42 so that the paper will be bent to shown in Figure 9 whereb the pin 69 is substantially a horizontal position before resting in one end of the s 0t and reventthe gripper fingers 32 release the sheets mg any further relative rotation oft e memwherehy the sheets will fall flatwise on the bers 22 and 25 in one direction. When the pile 43. This release is caused by the arm gripper arrives at the opposite end of the 36 striking the stationary cam 45 and openstructure, as for instance, adjacent the guide ing the gripper finger 32 against the action 46, the parts may rotate in a reverse direcof the springs 38. have been released, the various gripper bars. around thls guide. 22 pass around the respective guides 46 and What we cla m is 7 then back on top of the chains 39 and 40 1. The combination with a printing ma-' tothe chains .19 and 20 where-the pins 21 chine, of means including anendless chain receive them and quickly move them in suefor successively receiving printed sheets cession to a position for securing another f m theprlntlng machine, said means actsheet of paper as heretofore described. It mg to lrpmedlate ly suspend said sheets side will be notedthat the various gripper bars by slde in a vertical posltlon while conveyas they move outwardly. or away from the llg he same'through space a predetermined printing press 12 are supported by suitable dlstance, and a second conveymg apparatus and 25 while the respective pins 21 and 41 ceive said sheets and convey the same in a act to force the bars along; In orderthat" Vertical p q to a lg point, Se-1d the chains 19, 20,- 39 and 40 may move in 880096. c nveymgmeans. acting t0 au ro y hroni m, th haft 16 r j t matlcally brmg said sheets nearer together b y d th frame 11 d h sp k t h l to move the same at a slower speed than the 48 d 49 -a1 th t id k t means which receive the sheets from the wheels accommodating "the chains 50 and 51 P g m d 53 The combination with a printing mawhich are rigidly secured to a. shaft 54,-said chme, f a y g mechanism for recelv ng 55 hin sheets dlrectly from the printing mechanism passing over the sprocket Wheels 52 I tinually with the gear wheel 56, which gear and moving the same 0V8! a given path f0]? also continually meshes with the gear 57 P mi ing a drying action, said drying rigidly secured with shaft'58. The shaft 58 hanlsm mcludlng a conveyor, a pluralit has sprocket wheels 59' and 60 rigidly seof gripper bars carried by the. conveyor,

cured thereto, said sprocket wheels accom- 'grlppmg members arranged on each bar, modating the chains 39 and 40, which chains wheels for supportmg the conveyor and 'for pass over suitable sprocket wheels 62 and 63 causing the conveyor to move the gripper at the front, which latter sprocket wheels bars to a point near the discharge of sheets are loosely mounted on shaft 16. As indiof printed paper from the printing macated in Figure '1, shaft 17 carries a sprocket chine, a wheel formed with a plurality of After the sheets o-f paper tion for half a revolution in order topass.

nd tion 24 including an endless chain adapted to rewheel 64 which accommodates the chain 65. spaced. pins arranged adjacent the first men-' '7 passing over the sprocket wheel 66 rigidly tlOIld wheels'and positioned so that two secured to the shaft 67 which carries the of the :pins' will straddle each gripper bar roller 68 forming part of the printing press as they move around the first mentioned 12 and which is driven with the remalning' wheels, said pin-wheels 'movingat the same mechanism of the printing press. By this peripheral speed as the first mentioned means, the chains 19 and 20 are synchrowheels whereby the gripper bars are not permitted to drop under the action of gravlty, a cam arranged below the first men'- tioned Wheels, said cam acting to turn the gripper bars to a horizontal osition, an actuating arm connected with t e gripping members on each gripper bar, and an inclined track engaging said actuating arm for opening the gripping members as the arm passes over the track, said track being so positioned as to cause the opening of the gripping members simultaneously with the ping members.

3. In an ink drying mechanism for printing machines, a plurality of gripping bars, each of said gripping bars being divided into three sections, the end sections being comparatively short and acting as guiding members, and a plurality of gripping members positioned on the central section.

ALBERT V. FEISTEL. JAMES W. ROCKS.

insertion of a sheet of paper. into the grip 

